Retort for treating oil shale



RETI'ORT FOR TREATING OIL SHALE Filed June 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll E. B. ROTH RETORT FOR TREATING OIL SHALE FiledJune 30, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. id, 192? bar EDWARD B. EGEH, 0E LOUIS, MISSOURI. 4

BEIOET FOB TltEATING OIL SHALE.

application filed June 30, 1928. Serial No. 119,543.

This invention relates to retorts for treating oil shale.

An ob'ect of the invention is to provide an improved retort for treating oil shale rot vided with means for moving the s iale through the retort through zones of progressively increasing heat; to provide means for heating the retort from a separate and dis- 1 tinct furnace to avoid danger of explosion; to. simplify the construction and mode of l opehation of the retort; to provide means ton conducting heated air from the zone of maximum heat through pipes of progressively increasing length to the iiierent 15 zones; to provide equipment for indicating thedegree of heat of the different zones; to provide a retort structure having a removable upper portion and removablengitators operating adjacent to the respective floors dividing the retort into the different zones; and generally to provide an improved retort for the purposes mentioned possessing all of the improvements and advantages made wall and forming a confined space 3 aroundthe inner Wall into which the vapors pass i'roin the inside of the retort through series of openings at provided in the inner wall for that purpose. From the space 3 the vapors are withdrawn through an outlet passage 5 from the top of the retort. The top of the retort shown is pre erably an integral structure comprising a dome-like inner wall 6 seating upon the inner wall 1 and having a flange '2' fitting within said inner wall; and a dome-like outer wall 8 spaced l'rom the wall 6 and lormin a spa-2e 9 between said inner and outer wal s inmommunication'with the space 3. The outeriwall 8 is rigidly attaohed to the outer wall-2.

K'lhe shale is continuously fed to the upper e d. of the retort, by a spiral conveyor 10 structure. 'the upper zone of the retort which is as aco apparent by this specification, reference 0 crating in a passage, a part 11 of which is s own as an inte ral extension of the top Thus t e shale is delivered into rated from the next zone by a remova 1e floor 12 having a series of openings 13 through which the shale is discharged to the next zone.

The next zone of the retort has a remov- 65 able floor 14 provided with openings 15 through which the shale is discharged to the next zone, the removable floor 16 of which has a series of centrally disposed openings 17 for the passa e of the shale to the next 70 zone, the remova in floor 18 of which has a series of openings 19 near the wall 1 through which the shale is discharged to the final zone having a bottom wall 20 through which the shale is discharged through a series of centrally disposed openings 21 into a mac taclc 22 provided with an inclined shale Wit 1- drawal passage 23. A spiral conveyor 24 operates in the passage 23 and extends into the receptacle 22 and is operative to withd raw the shale waste from the receptacle 22. An annular chamber 25 is provided in the space 3 between the inner and outer walls of the retort around the lower part of the lowest zone. Hot or superheated air is admitted to the chamber 25 through a pipe 26 and passes from said chamber 25 at a temperature of about 770 F. into the lowest zone of the retort through holes 27. Hot air conducting pipes 28 extend and form passages i'rom the chamber 25 to the respective zones above the respective floors 12, 14, 16 and 18 of the retort. Each pipe is preferably controlled by a regulating valve 29. It is desirable too that the temperature in the compartment above the floor 18 be about 627 F and the compartment above the floor 16 about 417 F.; the compartment above the floor 14 about 367 F., andin the compartment above the floor 12 about 217 F.' In operation the shale passing to the respectiyie'zones through the openings 13, 15, 17 and 19, to a large extent, restricts the outward passage of hot air through said openings, thus permitting the various zones of the retort. to be subjected to progressively increasing heat from the upper to the lowest zone. This is desirable because some of the vapors will be separated 'from the shale compon'ents and will rise under the influence of lower heat than willother vapors. In order to separate and remove the vapors that will separate and rise under the influence of lower heat the zone into which the SllfllQfiS first received is heated to degree of heat lower than that of the next zone, and so on, to the final zone into which the shale is receivcdfwhich final zone is heated to the maximum degree of heat needed.

Ashaft 30 extends vertically through the various zones of the retort having its lower and supported upon a bearing 31 in connection with the bottom 20. A-numher of arms 32 extend from the shaft 30 in each compartment and rotate with said shaft. '1: hese arms support flights 33 designed and arrange to propel the shale delivered into the respective compartments toward the openings 13, 15, 19 and 21 through the respective compartment floors. Thus, in the upper compartment, the conveyor 10 discharges the shale near the wall 1 and the flights 33 agitate and move the shale to the openings 13, through which the shale drops onto the floor 14 of the next compartment near the shaft 30. In said nejvt compartment the ights 33 agitate and more the shale to the openings 15 through which the shale is discharged to the floor 16 of the next compartment, and so on.

This retort is provided with means for indicating the temperatures of the various zones and, in the embodiment shown. such means comprises equipment of known use and application, the same including a pyrouh eter stail' 34 extending into each zone and connected by wiring 35 to a pyrometer 36. These staffs 3d are removable and extend through connecting tubular unions 37 between the inner and outer walls 1 and 2.

I am aware that the construction. arran ement and relationship of parts of the device may be varied within equivalent limits and I contemplate suc variations as may be deemed beneficial. I do not restrict myself unessentially, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device "for treating oil shale comprising a vertical retort having an outer casing; wall, an inner casing wall spaced from the outer casingand having openings therein communicating with the space between the walls, a number. of floors within the inner casing provided with openings therethrough respectively, and forming compartments each of which communicates through said first openings with the space between said walls. a rotatable vertical shaft extending axially through said inner casingyan agitator device attached to said shaft in each ofsaid compartments. a chamber for receiving.

heated gases between said Walls around and.

openinz into the lowest compartment. and pipes for conductingheated gases from said chamber to said other compartmcnts, r speclively.

2. A device for treating oil shale comp ing a. vertical retort having an outer casing wall, an inner casing wall spaced from the outer casing and having openings therein communicating with the space between the Walls, a number of floors within said inner casing provided with openings thcrethrough respectively, and forming compartments each of which communicates through said first openings with the space between said walls, a rotatable vertical shaft extending axially through said inner easing, an agitating, device attached to said shaft in each of said compartments, a chamber for receiving heated gas in said space between said walls around and opening into the lowest compartment, pipes for conducting heated gases from said chamber to said other compartments respectively, a material receiving receptacle opening into said lowest compartment, and means for removing materials from said receptacle.

3. A device for trcatiru, oil shale comprising; a vertical retort having a vertical series of compartments, mechanism for agitating and feeding material through said compartments successively and continuously, means forming a confined space around said compartments and in communication with said compartments rcspmrtively, mean1 forming a chamber in said space opening ini' the lowest conipartn'icnt of the scrie ',,and pipes forming communication from said chamber to the respective cmnpartmcnts.

A. device for treating oil shale comprising a vertical retort, a vertical series of compartments in said retort, mechanism for agitating and feeding material through said compartments successively and continuously, means forming a confined space around said series of compartments communicating with said compartments respectively, means forming a chamber for receiving heated gases in said space and opening into the lowest compartment of the series, pipes forming communications from said chamber to the respective compartments, and means controlhug the passage of her: xid gases from said chamber through said pipes to said compartments.

5. A device for treating oil shale comprising a vertical retort, a vertical series of compartments in said retort, means for agitating and (feeding the material through said compartments successively and continuously, means for admitting heated gases to said compartments respectively, means for controlling the passage of the heated gases to said compartments respectively, and means forming a confined space around said compartments to receive the vapors therefrom.

6. A device for treating oil shale compris-' in; a vertical retort, a. vertical series of norm partments in said retort, means for agitating and feeding the material through said compartments successively and continuously,.

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means for admitting heated gases to said compartments respectively, means forming a confined space around said compartments to receive the vapors therefrom, means formin a chamber for receiving heated gases in sai space around and opening into the lowest one of said compartments, pipes vfor conducting heated gas from said chamber to the other compartments respectively, and means -for regulating the passage of heated gases through said pipes.

7. device for treating oil shale comprising a vertical retort having an outer casing wall, an inner casing wall spaced from the outer casing and having openings therein communicatlng with the space between the walls, a number of floors within the inner casins; provided with openings therethrough respectively, and forming compartments each of which communicates through said first openings with the space between said walls, a rotatable vertical shaft extending axially through said inner casing, an agitator device attached to said shaft in each of said compartments, a chamber for receiving heated gases between said walls around and opening into the lowest compartment, and means for conducting heated gases from said chamber to said compartments, respectively.

8. A device for treating oil shale comprising a vertical retort having'an outer casing wall, an inner casing wall spaced from the outer casing and having openings therein communicating with the space between the walls, a number of floors within said inner casing provided with openings therethrough c' respectively, and forming compartments each and opening into the lowest com artment,

means for conducting heated gas om said chamber to said compartments, respectively, a material receiving receptacle opening into said lowest compartment, and means for removing materials from said receptacle.

9. A device for treating oil shale comprising a vertical retort having a vertical series of compartments therein, mechanism for agitating and feeding material through said compartments successively and continuously, means forming a confined space around sald compartments and in communication with said compartments respectively, means forming a chamber in said space around and opening into the lowest compartment of the series, means for conducting heated gases into said chamber, pipes for conducting heated gases from said chamber to said compartments, respectively, and means for regulating through said pipes.

the passage of gas v EDWARD ROTH. 

